Lawyer rankings

Binti Shah

Work Department

Corporate Commercial

Position

Partner

Career

Binti is a dual qualified Kenyan Advocate and English Solicitor. After completion of her training contract with Wilde Sapte, a solicitors’ practice in London, and admission as an English solicitor in 1997, she was invited to join that firm as an assistant solicitor and worked there. She joined Kaplan & Stratton in February 1999 and became a partner in 2002. Her work encompasses primarily corporate and financial matters. Binti has extensive experience in project finance work, capital markets and finance.

Some of Binti’s notable transactions include the Government sovereign bond issues of 2014 and 2018, restructuring of Frigoglass Group, Standard Bank loan to M-Kopa, and various loans in the petroleum sector.

Kenya

Banking and finance and capital markets

Kaplan & Stratton Advocates has a large and multi-skilled team that covers most finance products. It is βabove all other firms in Kenya in terms of qualityβ, according to one client that emphasises its βexcellent serviceβ, while another notes its expertise with Asian clients and its βcommercially oriented adviceβ. The team advised Victoria Commercial Bank on a series of capital raising exercises including a rights issue, private placement, employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) issue and a bonus issue. Oliver Fowler and Binti Shah are βreal starsβ who βunderstand the commercial aspectsβ, βoffer solutionsβ and βknow exactly what middle ground would work for both sides of the tableβ. Ruth Kirunga is an βup and coming starβ, βdiligentβ and βhardworkingβ. Mahesh Acharya is recommended for capital markets deals.

The Commercial Bank of Africa Ltd ( CBA ) has obtained a conservatory order at the Court of Appeal in Nairobi ( the Court ) restraining the Cooperative Bank of Kenya Ltd ( Co-op Bank ), Equity Bank Ltd ( Equity ), the Chief Land Registrar and other named Respondents from disposing or dealing in any way with a property in Riruta ( the Property ) pending the hearing and final determination of an intended appeal from the decision of the Environment & Land Court allowing Co-op bank to exercise its statutory power of sale as a first chargee of the Property.

Prior to the enactment of the Unclaimed Financial Assets Act No.40 of 2011, (“the Act”) unclaimed financial assets were left under the control of the various holders or such entities where such assets were held. With the operation of the Act, all entities are required to report, trace and deposit any unclaimed financial assets with the Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority (the “Authority”).

The growth and
popularity of blockchain technology is at an all-time global high and
does not appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Courtesy of the
versatility of its use and application, blockchain technology may have a
newfound utility in the future management and registration of land
transactions in Kenya. This is according to ICT Cabinet Secretary, Joe
Mucheru.

Revenue sharing is the use of profits to enable separate actors develop
efficiencies or innovate in mutually beneficial ways. There are many
ways the revenue sharing concept is structured with the objective being
sharing of revenue profits and losses between various parties. Revenue
sharing is practiced widely in sports, manufacturing industries,
advertising industries, private companies and malls/retail shopping
centers. The International markets are embracing the concept of revenue
sharing or turnover rent.

On 6 th October 2017, the government published the Civil
Aviation (Remotely Piloted Systems) Regulations, 2017 which provide the
legal framework for the use of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems,
popularly known as drones in Kenya. Entrepreneurs and investors
therefore have the opportunity to tap into a market which a PwC report
estimates to be valued at over USD 127 Billion globally in such sectors
as infrastructure, agriculture, transport, security, mining, security,
media and entertainment amongst others. Already, African countries such
as South Africa, Morocco, Cameroon, Rwanda and Malawi are exploring
drone enterprises in these sectors.